David P. Statler

1
David P. Statler

• Nez Perce Tribe
• Department of Fisheries Resources Management
• Director of Resident Fisheries

2
Dworshak Integrated Rule Curves/Monitoring and
Evaluation

• Proposal 198740700

3
Regional Location
Dworshak Dam and Reservoir are located in the
Clearwater Subbasin of the Mountain Snake
Ecological Province, about -35 miles east of
Lewiston, Idaho.
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Subbasin Location
Dworshak Dam is located in the northwest quadrant
of the Clearwater Subbasin, within the Nez Perce
Indian Reservation.
5
Dworshak Dam Statistics
Located on North Fork Clearwater River at River
Mile 1.9. 717 feet high. Highest
straight-axis concrete dam in the W. Hemisphere
Third highest dam in the US.
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Reservoir Statistics
54 miles long at full pool (1600 ft
msl) 19,824 surface acres-175 miles
shoreline 3,453,000 acre-feet gross
storage 2,000,000 acre-feet active
storage ,
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No Fish Passage
Lower North Fork
Upper North Fork
ACCESS
Dworshak Dam
Clearwater Subbasin
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Blocked by Dworshak Dam

• 25 (2440 square miles) of the total Clearwater
  Subbasin area.
• 60 of the steelhead spawning area in Clearwater
  Subbasin
• 1.5 million square yards of steelhead spawning
  habitat
• 1.3 million square yards of chinook salmon
  spawning habitat

9
Dworshak Operations

• Operated by US Army COE
• Authorized Project Purposes
• flood control
• hydropower
• in-reservoir navigation
• Also operated for
• recreation, water quality, reservoir fisheries,
  and listed anadromous fish

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Proposal Objectives

• Refine the Dworshak Rule Curve Evaluation Model
  (DRCEM).
• Identify and update appropriate integrated rule
  curve (IRC) operations.
• Institute appropriate integrated operations.
• Develop a comprehensive long-term ME Plan for
  Dworshak Reservoir.

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Integrated Rule Curves - A Definition

• Integrated Rule Curves (IRCs) are a family of
  rules for dam operation that incorporate
  incremental adjustments to allow for
  uncertainties in water availability.
• IRCs serve a spectrum of operational needs.

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Development ofDWR Integrated Rule Curves

• Requisites
• Understanding of multi-purpose needs
• Coordination with entities with expertise and
  public responsibilities to serve these needs
• Use of available tools to effectively evaluate
  alternatives and tradeoffs

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Defining Individual DWR Rule Curves

• Integrated rule curve development first requires
  the definition of individual operational rule
  curves for the various needs served by the
  project, including
• flood control
• recreation
• hydropower
• navigation
• resident fish, anadromous fish, wildlife,
  cultural resources

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Individual Rule Curves

• Following is a series of graphs intended to
  define rule curves for specific needs and project
  purposes
• Rule curves need to be minimally defined as
  elevations or discharges
• The following curves are based on operational
  criteria currently defined by the appropriate
  regulating and operating entities and other
  experts

15
DWR Flood Control Rule Curve
No flood storage space needed July 1 - September
1. 1586 on Oct 1 1579 on Nov 15. 1558 on Dec
15. Max drawdown on April 1 based on run-off
forecasts after Jan 1.
16
DWR Hydropower Rule Curve
Depicts operations prior to BIOP flow
augmentation for listed salmon. Described and
modeled as SOR Alternative 1b (optimum
load-following). Minimal summer draft.
17
DWR Recreation Rule Curve
June - August peak recreation. 1590 most
sites usable. Minimum elevation 1590 June 1 -
September 1. Default to f.c. rule curve during
other periods.
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DWR Navigation Rule Curve
Log dumps are effectively operational from June
15-Sept 15. Log dumps are effectively operational
at 1595. Default to f.c. rule curve during other
periods.
19
DWR Cultural Resources Protection
1600 June-October Stable pool as long as possible
to minimize erosive impacts. f.c. rule curve
Nov-May. (per discussions with NPT Cultural
Resources Department)
20
DWR Resident Fish Rule Curve
1600 June-October. f.c. rule curve
Nov-May. (Criteria from Alternative 4c in 1995
SOR - considered fish habitat and reservoir food
production.)
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SOR MODEL
DWR Volume Surf Acres
Food Production
Hydro Models Hydrosim HYSSR Genesis
DWR Elev. Flows
Habitat Suitability Bull trout Smallmouth
Bass Kokanee
Bull trout forage (redside shiner) production
Fish Index Value
Bass spawning/inc/ rearing
Kokanee Entrainment
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Dworshak Rule Curve Evaluation Model Schematic
Phytoplankton
Light
Fish Growth or Index

Zooplankton
Temp
Benthic Insects
Reservoir Area

River (inflow)
Terrestrial Insects
Shore Area
Outflow
Terrestrial Input
23
DWR NMFS BIOP Rule Curve
Draft to 1520 by August 31. Refill to flood
control rule curve by December 15. Default to
f.c. rule curve during other periods. Refill as
soon as possible late spring.
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NMFS BIOP 2000 Update

• NMFS is calling for an evaluation of the benefit
  to listed stocks of an additional 20-feet of
  Dworshak drawdown in late summer/early fall.
• Increases the challenge to achieve meaningful
  multi-purpose integration of operational needs.
• Greater departure from normative conditions for
  the Clearwater system.

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Composite DWR Rule Curves
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Challenges to IRC Operations

• Recreation, navigation, resident fish, flood
  control and power have generally similar rule
  curves. (Power has more aggressive fall
  drawdown.)
• BIOP summer drawdown of 80 feet by August 31 is
  adverse to recreation, navigation, resident fish,
  power and cultural resources.

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Summary

• Flood control requirements are hard constraints
  affecting pool elevation and discharge.
• BIOP flow targets are behave like hard
  constraints affecting pool elevation and
  discharge.
• Spring flood control operations may conflict with
  spring BIOP flow targets.

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Summary (cont.)

• BIOP spring flow targets may compete with desired
  BIOP summer flow conditions.
• BIOP summer drawdown adversely affects other
  project needs including power, navigation,
  recreation, resident fish and cultural resources.
  
• Power emergencies trump everything else.

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Summary (cont.)

• Relaxing of flood control space requirements
  would decrease the conflict between spring flood
  control operations and BIOP spring flow targets
  (and benefit other project needs).
• Increased spring discharges while assuring refill
  will generally require less draft for flood
  control, especially during medium to high water
  years.

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Monitoring and EvaluationComprehensive Plan
BIOP 2000
modeling
zooplankton
water quality
benthos
recreation
impacts
cutthroat trout
entrainment
introgression
fisheries
cultural resources
nutrients
kokanee
bull trout